So the racists have won.

Evra is absent against Liverpool. The clowns who advocate the words of Luis Suarez have a good laugh. Manchester United go crashing out the cup. Isnt football just a bag of tripe?

There are many reasons why Patrice Evra should or should not play in this weekend’s FA Cup tie at the home of the most disgraced football club of this season. The defiant will tell you HE HAS TO PLAY. They will tell you that we can’t let them gain an advantage from all this. That what stand would it be against racism if Evra was to step aside for this tie? They will then tell you with a veiled smile that the Scousers will cut their own throats. About the opportunity for them to look like idiots and vile racists…and we can stand back with glee as the world condemns Liverpool Football Club. The opportunity to help destroy their reputation is greater than protecting the man himself. A man whose welfare should be greater than this specifically pathetic tribalism that has been caused by this whole Luis Suarez affair. The minute you use the history between the two cities is the minute you have lost sight of what this is all about.

For me, football is secondary when it comes to this matter. It’s not about winning games. It’s not about sticking one up your oldest rival. The matter in hand is the protection of a man. That his welfare…his mental state…and to an extent his physical protection…are of paramount importance this Saturday. What is actually going to happen? Who knows. But as the wounds are still so sore and filled with salt, it would be prudent not to tempt fate. We love to react in this country. We see something…we have a go. We gob. We shout. We tweet. We all do it. But then there is a percentage of us that will go too far (and I include United fans in this) There is no doubt in my mind that if Patrice Evra plays on the weekend, he will be subjected to some form of racism from the crowd. It could just be a simple racist shout from a scouse fan near the ball for a throw-in that Pat takes. It could be a host of monkey chants. It could be something even more audible. This on its own is NOT the reason why Evra should not play.

The reason is to take Evra out of the firing line for his own benefit, deferring the advantage he gives Manchester United in playing. We should think about the greater good of the game, and not about watching Liverpool swim in their own filth.

I totally understand why some want Evra to play, but it is all tabloid reasoning to me. It is wrong to allow Pat on that pitch to be some sort of possible sacrificial lamb, just so we can see an Anfield travesty at his expense. It’s a simple game of Poker. If your hand is poor, you can give the eyes…and bluff. You can pretend it’s all ok and that you are ready for war. But your other option is simple. You fold on this occassion, and save yourself for another day. It’s not a defeat. It’s called being prudent. Football and Poker are obviously two very different games, but on this occasion the rules of engagement have a mirrored effect. Evra may be a footballing loss to United, but it is the right thing to do for his benefit…whether he wants to play or not.

Football is theatre, but what Evra has been through is not. We expect our highly paid footballers to take everything on the chin, man up…and put in a shift no matter. We want them to run through brick walls. To show their teeth like Dobermanns at the fence. But when it comes down to their welfare we don’t really give a monkeys. Not many United fans are considering Evra’s underlying mental state. About the possibility of stepping out on that pitch after this traumatic episode. Yeah he gets paid tons so he should be alright. right? Wrong. He is a man. He is human. And he is susceptible to all the rubbish that all of we are. The right thing is to remove him from ANY situation after this unfortunate soap opera that LFC have created.

Damn Liverpool for what they have done. The way they have conducted themselves. But let us not damn our own. Let us not let Evra walk the tightrope strapped across the whole of Merseyside, with only the hard concrete below to catch him if he falls……just in case he loses his balance in a worse-case scenerio.

This is not a time to be bombastic. This is not a time to be naive. Common sense must prevail.

Patrice Evra – We wont let you walk alone.

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Having returned to winning ways the previous week by beating Bolton Wanderers, United travelled down to London to face Arsenal in a crunch game for the reds. Traditionally, the fixture between United and Arsenal has been one full of controversy and excitement, as the two great rivals collided to decide the fate of the league title. However, with Arsenal languishing outside of the top four and fresh off the back of two back to back defeats, United were strong favourites going into the clash despite having a relatively poor record at the Emirates stadium. An injury to Rio Ferdinand saw a forced change at the heart of United’s defence, with Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling charged with dealing with the prolific Robin Van Persie.

With Arsenal ravaged by injuries themselves especially in the full back area, United went about systematically exploiting the flanks in the first 45, with Nani and Evra marauding down the left hand side exposing Johann Djorou. An early set back to Phil Jones, who was stretchered off with an ankle ligament problem dented United briefly, as Arsenal forged some decent opportunities through Chamberlain and Ramsey. It was United however who wrestled control of the game, and began to get in behind the frail Arsenal back four, only to criminally waste promising opportunities, Nani in particular undoing initial good work with poor delivery. A strong United performance was seemingly going unrewarded, until the brink of half time, United turned to their tried and tested in the form of Ryan Giggs, who afforded the time to cross picked out Valencia at the back who nodded past Szczesny to give the reds the half time advantage.

Having encountered relatively little Arsenal resistance, United were sure to endure a more uncomfortable second 45 if they were to come away with a vital three points. Arsenal sensed the reds feeling of unease, and began to forge some clear cut opportunities, firstly through Van Persie, who inexplicably missed from 6 yards out with the goal at his mercy, and then Ramsey bursting into the penalty area fired his shot narrowly over. In a game which ebbed and flowed, United could have doubled their lead minutes later, as Welbeck burst through on goal, lobbed Szczesny, but saw his shot agonizingly cleared off the line by Per Mertesacker. United were made to pay, as with 20 minutes remaining, van Persie latched onto Ramsey’s reverse pass, and made no mistake in slotting his shot into the far corner to bring Arsenal back on level terms.

With the game very finely poised, it was a tale of substitutions which made the telling impact, with Arsenal introducing Andrei Arshavin for the impressive Chamberlain, and United introducing Scholes and Park to bolster the midfield. With 10 minutes left on the clock, it was United who stole the points, as the superb Valencia drove inside past a feeble Arshavin challenge, before delightfully interchanging with Park and cooly laying off to Welbeck who made no mistake of slotting home from 10 yards to put United back in front. An Arsenal onslaught ensued, but despite an aerial bombardment in the closing stages, some heroic defending from Chris Smalling denied the home side and ensured United headed back up north with a crucial 3 points secured.

Ratings

Lindegaard – 6 Relieved pressure with some key catches at the death.

Jones – Injured early.

Evans – 7 Some very fine defending against in form Van Persie.

Smalling – 7 Heroic defending at times, always put his head on the ball.

Evra – 8 Hopefully the beginning of a resurgence.

Valencia – 8 MOTM  Crucial goal, and magical assist for United winner.

Carrick – 7 Controlled the midfield.

Giggs – 6 Added creativity in first half especially, telling cross for opener.

Nani – 6 Gave Djourou a torrid time, final ball was poor however.

Rooney – 5 Worked hard but final ball wasteful.

Welbeck – 8 Could have had a hat trick, constant threat.

Subs

Rafael – 6 Balanced well between attack and defence.

Scholes – 6 Brought calm in final stages.

Park – 6 Telling lay off for United winner.

There are lots of books written about Manchester United on subjects like great players, the history, rivalries, classic matches and season reviews. There have been some really great books written on these subjects but also some really poor efforts as well. This Christmas, I was given one of the latest books to be written on the club – ‘The Big Book of United: Goalscorers and Champions’ and it definitely fell into the category of a really good book.

This book is not an official publication from Manchester United, but that should not put off people from reading the book. It is written by a number of Manchester United supporters of various ages, backgrounds and length of time supporting the club. By doing this, it gives a very broad view of the support which the club has and a greater insight into the club through the fans’ eyes. The title of the book mentions ‘Goalscorers’ and ‘Champions’ and the book delivers on that, with a great insight into these subjects. United’s top goalscorers each season get an indepth analysis in the book, along with other goalscorers for the club. Each of United’s League Championship winning seasons are also well analysed in the book too. The book goes way beyond its title though and describes a lot more about the club, its history and also its fans. For that reason, the book will appeal to a wide range of United’s support. Not only is the book a great read, but it is also a great reference book that fans can return to for information and to re-read at any time. It is definitely a book that I would recommend to fellow United fans to read if they are interested in the history of Manchester United.

A snippet taken from the book The Big Book of United: Goalscorers and Champions by James Ward

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Following last weekends FA cup frivolities, United returned to league action with a clash against Lancashire rivals Bolton Wanderers. Having suffered two consecutive defeats in the league, and now lagging 3 points behind leaders City, United knew that victory was essential in order to maintain their title bid. Having returned to action in dramatic circumstances last week, Paul Scholes was handed his first start upon return to the club alongside Michael Carrick, in one of only 3 changes to the United line up.

With City only playing on Monday night, United knew a victory would take them to within goal difference at the top of the table, and began the game intent upon righting the wrongs of their previous league performances. A sumptuous 40 yard ball from Michael Carrick to Danny Welbeck created the opening chance of the game for the reds within 5 minutes, the England striker however was well thwarted by Bogdan in the Bolton goal. Concerted United pressure was beginning to tell, as Antonio Valencia continued to impress on the right wing giving Bolton left back Ricketts a torrid time. A delightful interchange between Welbeck and Valencia put the latter clear on goal, only for Zat Knight to clumsily bundle Welbeck to ground handing United the chance to open the scoring from the spot. Up stepped Rooney, but his spot kick was splendidly saved by the inspired Bogdan, diving away to his right to deny Rooney for the second time in a week, and leaving United frustrated.

With half time looming however, the moment all in attendance were waiting for arrived, as Rooney’s cross found Paul Scholes free at the back post, and the United midfielder rolled back the years to finish expertly and send Old Trafford into a rapturous chorus of ‘He scores goals.’ Having seemingly broken Bolton’s spirit, United looked to consolidate their lead in the second half and add to their goal’s for tally. However, Bolton were dogged in their resistance, whilst offering little in the way of attacking threat, making for a nervy second half for the reds. Valencia’s cross to Rooney seemed to have presented the perfect opportunity to kill the game, but Rooney on the stretch could not divert the ball towards the gaping goal, in an afternoon of frustration for the United talisman. Instead, it was United’s rising star, Danny Welbeck, who settled the matter 15 minutes from time, latching onto Rooney’s through ball and slotting home past the onrushing Bogdan, a just reward for yet another fine performance.

A final flurry from the reds threatened, as the magnificent Valencia tortured the Bolton back four with pace, power and decisive delivery, but it was the cultured left foot of Michael Carrick which added the gloss on to United’s victory, slotting home from 20 yards into the bottom corner and capping a fine performance. 3-0 represented a good day’s work and a professional performance against what were in truth a hapless Bolton side, as United embark upon a run of 8 crucial games which will likely decide the fate of the reds season.

Ratings

Lindegaard – 6 Spectator for most of the game.

Rafael – 6 Enthusiastic attacker, good clearance off the line.

Ferdinand – 6 Handled N’gog competently.

Evans – 6 Relief to have proper centre back.

Evra – 7 Very confident performance.

Valencia – 8 MOTM Tortured Ricketts all afternoon, textbook display of wing play.

Carrick – 8 Superb performance, dominated the game.

Scholes -6 Well taken goal, looked rusty otherwise.

Nani – 6 Failed to make same impact as Valencia.

Rooney – 6 Looked frustrated throughout game.

Welbeck – 8 Intelligent movement and build up play.

Subs

Giggs – 6 Added extra dynamism to midfield.

Hernandez – 5 Did little of note.

Park – 6

I remember when I was still playing football on a regular and competitive basis. One weekend our team traveled to Olney, Maryland to play against their travel team. Here in the States, we don’t have academies, really; we have what we call “select” or “travel.” Aside from ODP (Olympic Development Program), it’s the closest we have to competitive youth football.

So, we get there and the atmosphere is pretty typical. Olney was known for being a dirty team. Even the parents were dirty – yelling at the opposing team’s kids, swearing, threatening, etc. We never ever liked playing them. From the get-go, their kids are acting like total heathens. It quickly turns into a battle. As the game got into the last few minutes, one of their players slides in studs up – from behind – and takes down our sweeper. In the heat of the moment, I chase him down, a la Wayne Rooney, and absolutely take him out. The play was dead. Everyone saw it. Ref shows me red. I knew it was coming. I storm off the pitch, more upset at how out of hand the game had gotten than actually getting the red. My coach grabs my arm, looks at me, and reprimands me for stooping to their level. I didn’t want to hear him, so I grabbed my bag and stormed off to the car to wait, a la Balotelli. He was old and he didn’t get it. He was out of touch with the game. I was 13 and that’s exactly what I was thinking at that exact moment. In that instance, I had no desire to listen to anyone. I was above it all. I was right; I was defending my player; I wasn’t going to be told otherwise. Sound familiar?

In light of everything that’s happened over the last year with players like Tevez, Balotelli, Rooney, and now Ravel Morrison; it is impossible for me to not draw parallels when hearing the rumors this past week. The biggest difference though? I WAS 13. I wasn’t a professional. I had nothing to throw away. I was never going to play for United. I wasn’t being scouted for a club team. I wasn’t even being scouted for college. In that moment, though, I felt entitled. The unfortunate parallel with our current situation is that Ravel Morrison feels like he’s entitled EVERY moment. Entitlement is one of the many problems with young players nowadays. “What are people going to give me right now?!”

You’ve heard it all week. Ravel is the best thing to come out of the academy since Paul Scholes. He’s been told he’s the next best thing for years and the boy is only 18. Think about having a little chip on your shoulder, but imagine everyone feeding that ego from the time you were 10 years old. It’s created the person that Ravel is now. He doesn’t take direction cause he just doesn’t care. He doesn’t listen to what wiser and more seasoned players/coaches tell him cause he thinks he knows better. In the end, players like Morrison – who have talent for miles – end up doing only what’s best for them. He’s with United and he’s on the biggest stage. He knows what’s being said about him and he knows that the exposure he’s getting now (negative and positive) is something he wouldn’t have seen at another club. He thinks he’s setting himself up for a payday by being at United – and that’s what he cares about.

The truth is he’ll get paid somewhere. Some team will pay the fee we agree on and he’ll go to their team and collect a check that would make people who would appreciate it grateful for it beyond words. To him though, he feels like it’s owed to him. I’ve got news for him: He hasn’t earned anything from us. He’s played in three League Cup games. He’s making more money than 99% of 18 years make. He has talent to make him millions of dollars and win lots of trophies, but he’s most likely going to sacrifice 15-20 million pound contracts years down the road for a fraction of that right now. He lacks the reasoning, idealization, and perspective to know this. He wants his and he wants it now. Someone as legendary as Fergie isn’t going to be able to change his mind. He’d respond to a younger manager who has proven he can do the job. As much as it pains me to say it, someone like Mourinho or Mancini. I GUARANTEE he looks up to Balotelli and would secretly (or, in the not-too-distant-future and not-so-secretly) love playing for City.

When it comes down to it, Ravel is the type of player who doesn’t respond to elders well. Take it from me; I was a little heathen in my day, too. He doesn’t respond to authority well. It could be his upbringing or it could just be him. What’s going to happen in the next few months is that he’ll most likely leave United for a fee we’ll most likely shake our heads at. He’ll go to a team that needs a player right now, not a team that will sit him on the bench (would probably rule City out). He’ll get a couple pounds to put in his pocket, but he’ll have sacrificed his future for his right now. Who knows if this kid will end up being great? We can’t get inside his head to figure this whole thing out. Maybe he’ll listen to sound reasoning and stay?

But like I said yesterday, the only thing stopping Ravel Morrison from being great is Ravel Morrison.

Follow me on Twitter at @JasTheDevil

The Faithful welcomes guest writer Kim Willott to our website. Here is her thoughts on our dilemma we currently have at right-back

As you know the injury problems of our defence has risen over the past few weeks, with Jonny Evans now being added to a long list of United players out of action. With Gary Neville deciding it was time to frame the shirt and hang it above his bed last season, it was time for somebody else to step up to the plate. Since then we’ve had Rafael, Fabio, Smalling, Jones and on the odd occasion, Valencia filling in at right back. It’s a problem that’s been facing us for quite some time and needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

Rafael for me has the ability to be a great right-back for us and has been the first team choice since Neville retired. But he tends to get himself into trouble with lunging tackles and hasn’t proved himself enough to both be strong, and know when to hold back. There is a positive to this kind of defending as it proves he’s not afraid to go into any challenge, and it shows his hunger and desire to play. However the negative of this problem has seen him be disciplined harshly on the pitch, receiving 2 red cards during his time at United so far. I can see Rafael as a future right-back for United because he has the ability and talent to grind down at players and win the ball. However if we don’t give him that chance to flourish and become the player we all know he could be we could end up damaging his confidence.

Like his brother, Fabio is an excellent full back. He does have one slight problem, as injuries have shown that one half of our Brazilian twins… is practically made of glass, which doesn’t make him first choice during the season. But one positive about him is he does enjoy wearing the United shirt and playing whenever he’s fit and that’s the kind of defender we need, never say die and will put in the effort required and learn from his mistakes. I wouldn’t say he’s as powerful in his challenges but he does have no fear in taking on more experienced players and has the strength and ability in the box to clear any unwanted danger.

As for Valencia, I believe most United fans like myself say he’s better placed as a winger, but he’s had to fill in at full back as he’s a strong built player. He’s been average at right back and not caused too many problems, but I’d rather a natural full back take the position on the team-sheet. He may not be our number one choice for the spot, but he’s brought his own flair to the position and it has been working. He’s not caused a lot of grief but he’s managed to hold his own despite it not being his natural position, however he is a right winger and we need him in that position as he creates more of a threat and has been one of our key players during this, shall we say crisis, in the season.

So, it’s down to the main contenders. Smalling vs Jones, which is what the situation was really wasn’t it? Let’s start with Jones shall we? The man is a weapon to his own right. When he stamps the ground in frustration you can feel it in Australia (I have my sources). He’s exceptional at full back and in centre midfield, especially when partnered with Carrick. He’s had his fair share of starts in defence for us, and with Evans and Vidic now out injured I’d much prefer if he was positioned at right-back as he’s a stronger force. I mean look at the lad, he’s only 19 and he’s got the physicality of a 29 year old and the body of a God. (Yes, I’m letting my personal feelings get in the way for the article, but don’t fib and say you’ve not got a man crush on him!). Due to his exceptional form in central midfield he has shown us that he’s a difficult player to come up against and has given Fergie the option to move him around the pitch as a different formation.

Now, I know Smalling is a recognised central defender, but with the majority of his appearances this season he’s secured himself the right back position and he’s become a fans favourite. He’s gained a lot of experience with United since joining in 2010 after being at Fulham since 2008. He’s a bright prospect with the attitude of a central defender but he also eases into the full back position with confidence and he makes challenges with power and common sense. With the recognised knee injury to Nemanja Vidic last year and being out until next season Smalling has had to join forces with Rio and has moulded himself into that position, and it’s working. But Smalling has a great chance to prove himself at full back and centreback, so if the situation arises again for a possible switch around we’ll have cover in both positions.

With himself and Jones being thought of as a replacement for Rio and Vidic in the near future, many of the fans are looking at the position of right-back and hoping Sir Alex will make permanent changes. But I say why change things? We must be doing something right, after all we’ve only conceded 20 goals during in the Premier League this season so far, and that’s something to ponder about. It’s a difficult decision for Sir Alex to make and we can only go off what’s been seen at the training ground as it’s not always about stats, it’s about the performance of the player at the time.

So, with Vidic out of action until the end of the season, I’d go with the player who’s made the best impression to fill in at centreback, and that would be Smalling. Meaning Jones, who is 100% capable of being used as a right back if he’s not needed in midfield, after all the latest news of the Ginger Prince coming out of retirement has given us a big boost. A boost that could possibly extend our strength in the squad towards the end of the season, and giving us a chance to catch up to Manchester City.

Gibson has already gone... is Pogba next?

Social networks have many plusses and an equal amount of negatives, none of which I will go in to here in much detail. Personally I use Twitter as a forum to discuss many things, none more than United, with people from all over the world. But one thing is abundantly clear from using this forum, and that is the majority of ‘fans’ on there act like hormone-ravaged schoolgirls at a Justin Beiber concert when it comes to Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison. Recent news of moves away for the two talented youngsters has sent the fan-boys and girls into melt down. The level of hysteria shown by the masses of United related tweeters have surpassed the feelings shown when Ronaldo left, when Rooney threw his wage-related paddy or when Scholes retired. The statements I have read have filled me with a plethora of emotions ranging from disgusted to embarrassed, annoyed to just down-right confused. I read calls for Fergie losing the plot because we aren’t doing enough to secure their signatures. I witnessed tweets where people have actually abused Morrison and his girlfriend because he is rumoured to be moving to Newcastle. What the hell is going on people?

Lets break this down for a minute. Paul Pogba, a player who we practically stole from Le Harve in France, who showed absolutely no loyalty to his childhood club, who isn’t even 19 years old until March of this year and has made only three senior appearances for the club. Yet we show utter surprise when he is seemingly seeking a mega amount of money for his services? Get real! Then there is Ravel Morrison, who again is not yet 19 years of age until February this year, who again has made only three senior appearances for the club, who has the chequered past of a gangster rapper and whose own teammates have (allegedly) called him a ‘lazy s*** who can’t be arsed training’. He gets linked with a move away from the club and suddenly he is like the devil incarnate. Two players, with a combined age of less than Ryan Giggs, with less first team appearances combined than Bebe, who have both been in the first team for less than six months; can you see where I’m going with this?

Sir Alex Ferguson is not a fool. You can question his morals, you can question his decision-making at times and you can question his motivation for remaining in the job this long (if you are that way inclined). You can not, however, question the mans ability as frankly it speaks for itself. Throughout his entire Manchester United career, have we ever let a player go from the youth team who has gone on to greater things? No. When Keith Gillespie went to Newcastle as part of the Andy Cole move, he was considered a good prospect but his career barely improved from that level. Gerard Pique, who played for our first time quite a bit, could be argued to fit into that category, but his move to Barcelona was down to his lack of first team chances behind Rio and Vidic. Sir Alex clearly doesn’t feel that either Pogba or Morrison are ready, deserving or talented enough for a run in the first team at this present time. And lets face facts, he’s not exactly shy about giving youth team players a chance is he? How many games did players like Luke Chadwick, Chris Eagles or Kieran Richardson get before they were moved on? Fergie gives talented youngsters every opportunity to prove themselves worthy of a run in the first team, so to me there is something going on behind the scenes that is hindering their chances. And I, for one, would wager a considerable amount of money that it is the players themselves.

So to the hysterical masses on Twitter, I say to you now, calm yourselves and have a moment of rational thought before you tweet. Maybe even have a re-read of the tweet before you click that send button, to see if you sound like a crazed stalker or a rational-minded soul. And to the many sensible fans out there who like me enjoy the banter and the discussions that take part on this kind of forum, try to avoid the crazies and seek out the like-minded fans. We are on there, we are just a minority.

Chudi of @TheBusbyWay and I discuss the Manchester derby, giving in-depth analysis on the match events, the dramatic return of Paul Scholes, the Kompany sending off and much more. As usual we preview United’s next match and give our legends and c*$@-s- of the week.

Following two disastrous consecutive losses, United faced league leaders and rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup third round, looking to avoid a hat trick of defeats, a record United have preserved since 2001. Having succumbed to a humiliating 6-1 reverse scoreline at Old Trafford earlier in the season, the reds were keen to make amends and set the record straight, albeit whilst in their worst run of form of the campaign. United welcomed back Chris Smalling to the defence alongside Rio Ferdinand, with Phil Jones occupying a right back slot after enduring a difficult evening against Demba Ba in midweek. Wayne Rooney was looking to score his 12th derby goal for United, and assure the fans he was committed to club following reports that he is looking to move on in the near future, as he partnered Danny Welbeck in an attacking United line up. Pre match chatter however was diverted towards the shock inclusion of United legend Paul Scholes amongst the substitutes, with news that Scholesy is taking up a playing role with the club for the remainder of the season to avert the current injury crisis. It was to be the first twist in what was a bizarre afternoon of football.

A crackling atmosphere encouraged the home side to a strong start, controlling large amounts of possession and keeping United pinned back into their half for the opening 10 minutes. It was the red half of Manchester that struck the first blow however, when on 10 minutes, the much scrutinised Rooney bravely met Antonio Valencia’s cross to head United into the lead, triggering a match altering 5 minutes. Minutes after taking the lead, United were handed yet another boost, as City skipper Vincent Kompany was dismissed for a two footed lunge on Nani handing the reds a man advantage for the remaining 70 minutes of the tie. United asserted their dominance on the half hour mark, as they doubled their lead through Danny Welbeck, who pounced upon a loose ball in the City penalty area to volley home into the bottom corner. A dream half was complete for United when 5 minutes before the break, Ryan Giggs’s reverse pass to Danny Welbeck saw the England striker chopped down by a rash challenge from Alexsander Kolarov, handing the reds the chance to take a 3 goal lead from the spot. Stand in City keeper Pantilimon saved Rooney’s spot kick, but couldn’t prevent him from nodding home the rebound for his second of the game, sending the 6000 reds into a delirious celebratory Poznan!

Having secured a seemingly unassailable lead, thoughts turned to gaining revenge for the 6-1 given the half time situation United found themselves in. However, just 3 minutes into the second half, Kolarov’s free kick from 25 yards found its way into the bottom corner, swinging the momentum back into the home sides favour. Scholes’ introduction on the hour mark brought some calm to the United midfield, who were content to keep possession away from City. However, a culmination of errors, beginning with a lapse lay off from Scholes, resulted in Sergio Aguero pouncing upon a tame attempted save from Lindegaard to tap City right back into the game with 25 minutes still on the clock. A tense finale ensued for United, who were forced to stave off a late flurry from the home side, with Lindegaard called into action to beat away a Kolarov free kick with stoppage time looming. United held on however, and made their way into the fourth round, and the mouth watering prospect of a clash against Liverpool at Anfield.

Ratings

Lindegaard – 5 Unconvincing display despite one great save from Aguero.

Jones – 5 Looked to be lacking his usual self confidence.

Smalling – 7 Timely return to bolster the defence.

Ferdinand – 6 Few dodgy moments, but overall solid.

Evra – 6 Bombed forward superbly, still left questions to be answered defensively.

Valencia – 7 Keeps showing why he is integral to United.

Carrick – 7 Ran the midfield.

Giggs – 6 A few touches of class, enjoyed extra space after red card.

Nani – 5 Quiet afternoon despite assist for second goal.

Rooney – 8 MOTM Superb display to silence critics.

Welbeck – 7 Intelligent movement and superbly taken goal.

Subs

Scholes – 6 Metronome in midfield, looks like he can still do a job for United.

Anderson – 5 Added stability to creaking midfield.